Facebook, Twitter and Instagram When I’m an Octogenarian, or Quality and Frequency

So, here we are, a bunch of middle agers blasting our daily doings on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We post the darling photos of our children, past and present. We post funny pet videos, thoughtful articles we believe will inform and inspire others, and hilarious memes to lighten our friends’ days. Our worries are different now than they will be as we age. Certainly, they are many and varied. We have aging and sick parents, kids who are grown or nearly grown, and of course we will never stop worrying about them.

I allowed my mind to wander, as I often do when I should be working on my novel instead. And during that distracted wandering, I thought about how our posts might change as we age a few decades. By then, our kids will have kids and grandkids of their own. Will our social media look different? After having two grandparents recently spend their last days in a nursing home out of necessity, I observed a few things.

If I were in my eighties, in the nursing home, and hopefully still able to interact online, I imagine my posts might be centered around the things most pertinent and immediate. I’ll just make a list for simplicity.

Top Ten Nursing Home Post Subjects to Drive My Kids Crazy

Quality and frequency of bowel movements.

What flavor of jello or pudding was served with the meal.

Quality and frequency of family visits.

Bingo

Low Hearing Aid Batteries.

Finding my socks.

Making it to the bathroom in time.

Still posting photos of my grands and great-grands.

Crushing on that cute young doctor.

Trying to get the front door code from the visitors to plot my escape.

I adore the elderly, and I ache watching their struggles. I seek not to make fun, but to empathize with how life changes so dramatically as we age. The simplest of tasks becomes a mountain to climb. And we all have our turn if we live that long.

Three of four of my grandparents have lived into their mid-nineties. I fully expect to be blogging merrily about the quality and frequency of bowel movements in my eighties and beyond, God willing.

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Susan I am so happy for you great work indeed. Katie mailed your book and I squealed inside and out. Reading is a passion. In this case taken to the next degree because I know the essence of the author. Managing to pour your sweet nature into story line only highlights the fact that you possess an innate talent for writing. I look forward to your next project.

Ruthy!! My sweet friend, how I’ve missed you and wondered about you over the years! Thank you so much for your kind words about my book. I’m thrilled you read and enjoyed it. Katie has kept me somewhat up-to-date and my mom told me she saw you not long ago. So tickled to see you here on my little blog today. You’ve made my day!! Please keep in touch! 🙂